1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic commerce between enterprises using a network such as the Internet (i.e., Business to Business electronic commerce (BtoB)) and its system, in which business documents are exchanged between at least two computers connected via a communication network. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for reducing communication data amount in exchanging business documents.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, with the spread of the Internet and the establishment of standard data exchange technologies such as XML, Business to Business electronic commerce (BtoB) in open communication network environments have begun to take place. With this, standard specifications for information processing technology have been drawn up to transfer electronic business documents between corporations doing business in BtoB.
In such standard specifications, rules concerning formats of electronic business documents exchanged between corporations and rules concerning message formats (BtoB standard message formats) for outgoing business documents to business counterparts are set forth.
Among organizations that stipulate specific formats for BtoB standard messages is RosettaNet. RosettaNet sets forth rules concerning business document formats based on Partner Interface Processes. It sets forth rules concerning message formats for outgoing business documents based on RosettaNet Implementation Framework.
In conventional BtoB, corporations doing business with each other stipulate their own communication data formats, which means that a different electronic commerce system is required for each business counterpart. However, by having a single electronic commerce system that conforms to the BtoB standard specifications based on the standard specifications drawn up, a corporation can transact business with an indefinite number of corporations that also have an electronic commerce system that conforms to the BtoB standards.
In the standard specifications for BtoB, formats for business documents are strictly regulated. For example, data items that must be included in business documents are stipulated by the standard specifications. However, once certain corporations begin to do business based on BtoB, there could be many data items whose values remain the same in every transaction. For example, when a corporation periodically orders the same product to be delivered to the same location, changing only the volume every time, the same data for data items such as product name, product code and destination would be sent every time an order is placed.
Currently, the BtoB market is rapidly growing, and a boost in communication traffic in networks is expected. In such a situation, using the BtoB standard formats that entail high redundancy is inefficient. Further, the exchange of business documents in BtoB has high security requirements in terms of confidentiality, and encryption of business documents and use of electronic signatures through electronic encryption technology are often required.
Since electronic encryption processing entails high computing costs, using the BtoB standard formats with high redundancy can have a direct impact on processing loads of information processing systems, which can lead to a high cost for the systems.
Among technologies to reduce some communication data amount, a data compression technology is known. For example, a data compression method for XML documents has been proposed. However, when such communication data compression technology is applied unaltered to outgoing business documents and BtoB standard messages, the message formats that conform to BtoB standard specifications become corrupted, and document format check error occurs in a system that conforms to the BtoB standards.
On the other hand, when conducting an electronic commerce without using BtoB standard formats, corporations doing business with each other must stipulate their own message formats, and the resulting electronic commerce system would allow transactions only between certain corporations.